that means the federal government is closed today. pretty much every local government is closed in our area. >> emergency personnel are still being asked to report in. >>> every major public transportation agency is closed today, including metro transit and vre. almost every flight in and out of our region has been canceled. and so you are advised to call your airline. mark is shut down today. amtrak has canceled most northeast corridor trains. >> today is the third day of an extended weekend for most school systems in our region. and we have all of this on our website at wusa9.com, also running at the bottom of the screen and we'll keep it updated 24/7. >>> all of the rain and wind associated with this storm are expected to leave several thousand of our neighbors without power. >>> we hav on our phone a representative from pepco. let's go to howard first. >> howard, tell us what's happening. >> well, the storm got stronger overnight, seeing the pressure drop more, one of the lowest pressures ever reported for hatteras. winds will be